Item - 2014.EX44.54

The Executive Committee referred the item to the City Manager for report back to the Executive Committee by the end of the second quarter of 2015.

Please accept this letter as my request for your support to respectfully ask Transport Canada to reconsider its approval of 10 percent more flights departing and arriving at night at Toronto's Pearson International Airport in some years, and revert back to the previous signed agreement that allowed for the number of night flights to be calculated based on annual total passenger traffic growth.

On June 13, 2013, Transport Canada approved Toronto Pearson International Airport's request to increase its "night flight budget". The night flight budget is an agreement between Toronto Pearson and Transport Canada that governs the number of flights that take off and land at the airport between 12:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. annually. The night flight budget was established by Transport Canada in 1997.

Since 1997, increases to the night flight budget have been calculated annually based on total passenger traffic growth. For example, if passenger traffic increased 3 percent annually, then the night flight budget would increases 3 percent for the following year. It is assumed that annual growth of passenger traffic is about 3 percent.

The recent changes approved by Transport Canada mean that in addition to the annual increases to the night flight budget based on total passenger traffic growth, in a year when the number of flights reaches more than 95 percent of the budget, the next year's budget will be increased by an additional 10 percent. This translates to an additional 3 or 4 flights per night, not including any flight increases based on annual passenger traffic growth. On average, Pearson Airport has 39 flights in the night time.

Concerns have been raised by residents to the amended formula that would allow for a 10 percent increase in the number of night flights in some years.  Specifically, they are concerned that this represents a drastic increase in the number of night flights allowed, and they are extremely concerned about increased aircraft noise at night and the impact on their quality of life.

In response to this issue, I respectfully request that you support my recommendation to request that the City Manager reach out Transport Canada to request that they reconsider the provision that will allow 10 percent more night flights in certain years, and revert back to the existing formula for calculating the number of flights allowed at night based on the number of total passenger traffic growth per year that has been in place since 1997.